Toy vehicle and guiding apparatus therefor



Sept. 22, 1931. -J. F. KEY

TOY VEHICLE AND GUIDING APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i l L MIN- K Sept. 22, 1931. J. F. KEY

TOY VEHICLE AND GUIDING APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT or ice JAMES FRANCIS KEY, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF SIXTY-EIGHT PER CENT TO JAMES IRVINE, JR.

TOY VEHICLE AND GUIDING APPARATUS THEREFOR Application filed November 12, 1930. Serial No. 495,077.

This invention relates to a toy vehicle and refers particularly to an apparatus for guiding a toy vehicle rendering it unnecessary to use tracks.

Heretofore, toy vehicles have either been driven on tracks or have been tied to a central post and the vehicle intended to swing in a circle around the-post. When the toy vehicles have been tied to a central post there has been no proper means for automatically guiding the vehicle on the proper curve to circle the post, with the result'that the toy vehicle has had to skid to circle they post and has required the use of a smooth floor for its operation.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved guiding apparatus for toy vehicles which is designed to automatically maintain the vehicle on a given course without the necessity of employing tracks for guiding the vehicle and without causing the vehicle to skid in order to maintain itself on the course prescribed.

In accordance with the present invention means are provided for guiding toy vehicles which are simple and inexpensive in construction and which will enable light lowpowered vehicles to operate on a course over rough traction around a desired course, so that the vehicle may be operated over a course where the power of the vehicle would be insuflicient to drivethe same if it were required to skid to maintain itself on the course. 7

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple means for attaching to a toy vehicle by which the toy vehicle may be driven around an irregular path having a number of irregular curves, some of which may be changed at will and the length of which path may be increased or decreased at will.

It is an object of this invention to. provide such equipment for guiding a vehicle over a predetermined path without requiring the use of tracks, which equipment may be readily removed from the vehicle and the vehicle left to travel on an unguided path when desired. q r

Various additional obj ects and advantages of the present invention will be most clearly understood from a description of a preferred form or preferred forms of vehicles and guiding apparatus therefor, embodying the present invention. For this purpose, I hereinafter describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the preferred form or forms of vehicles embodying the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of vehicle and driving means therefor;

Figure 2 is an elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the operation of the preferred form of guiding apparatus for the vehicle shown in Figures l and '2;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a modified form of guiding apparatus;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan View of a still further modified form of guiding apparatus; and V Figure. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a further form of guiding apparatus.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, I have shown the invention embodied in a toy vehicle 2, as illustrated, which is a toy steam engine comprising the steam cylinder 3 driving through the crank arm 4 and the flywheel 5. The flywheel shaft 6 has a chain drive 7 with the rear driving wheel 8. A further rear wheel 9 is provided on the rear of the toy vehicle which, however, is freely rotatable, on the vehicle and is not driven by thev chain drive 7. 10 indicates theboiler of the vehicle which isheated by heating means 11 of any usual or; preferred type. I V

The front of the toy vehicle is illustrated asvcoinprising a roller 12 which, however, may be replaced by a single wheel or a pair of front wheels of any usual or preferred type. The front roller 12 is provided with a guiding truck 13 pivoted to its center to the body orboiler of the vehicle by means of the bracket 14, so that the vehicle may be guided by the pivotal position of the roller 12 with respect to the body of the vehicle. 7

The toy vehicle so far described is a well known form of toy vehicle and as ordinarily constructed and. operated, is permitted to In accordance with the present inventien I provide two means for automatically guiding-such a vehicle around a predetermined path. Such means includes first a means for yieldingly causing the front guiding roller or guiding means ofthe vehicle to rotate with respect to the body of the vehicle so as to tend to cause the vehicle to prescribe a circular path. As will be hereinafter described, a variety of I different appliances may be utilized tor-this means.

InF-igures l to 3,.ofthe drawings I have shown a; coiled tension spring 15 attached, at its front end, asindicated at 16, to the front wheel of the roller truck 13andto a'point 17 onthe body of the vehicle toward the rear. Such a tension spring applies ayielding force tending-torotate the truck. 14, and the front guiding roller 12 inthe direction. of the ten? sion spring 15 and. if constituting the sole guiding means of thevehicle, would thereby cause thc vehicleto prescribea. general cir- Onlar p th. It. isto be; noted, that such a guiding means on the vehicle would notjcause thevehicle to follow, apredetermined path because the size of thecircle prescribed by the toy would vary, withthe smoothness of the floor and theforce of the motor. in the toy so that the toy would wander over the floor inia more or less haphazard manner.

The guiding. means of the present inven tion also inclu'de means for indicating the pathto be presc-ribedby the operation'ofthe vehicle Inlthe preferred form=of this invention this, guiding means; comprises a bracket 18 or. other-suitable device-for supporting'a pulley 19. on avertical axis 20. The bracket 18 is atta-chedjto the truck--13 on the sideopposite to the side engaged or connected with the; spring; 15,. This pulleyl 19' is adaptedlin operation to engage af cable 2 1 whichis preferably a continuous cable having its ends suitably connected together andlis placed inuse around anumber of posts such as posts 22, which may be merely the legs of a ch air or other furniture.

' While I have described'the use o tja cable 21, it is to be understood that the term cable is used ina generic sense asto include chains, ropes, strings orany light, flexible guiding element;

In operation of the vehiclethus described the motor of the vehicle or steam cylinder, as

in this case-described, drives the vehiclecon tinuously and the spring 15; operates to place tension on the guiding truck'ofthe vehicle such asto cause the vehicle to .turn outwardfrom the guiding cable 21; When the motion of the vehicle reaches theendofthe slack in the guiding cable 21, the guiding cable 21 holds the vehicle from turning fur ther outwardly from the cable and rotates the guiding truck of the Vehicle against the force of the spring 15 so as to cause the vehicle; tobe automatically guided around a pathdetermined: by the position of. the posts 2 2 around which the cable is passed together with the amount of slack in the cable 22.

It will" be apparent fromtheforegoing description that the paths to be prescribed by the vehicle may be readily varied in use bycausingthe cable 21' to be trained around posts placed at different intervals and by varying the number of posts around which the cableis placed, and also by increasing or decreasing the length of the cable,

It will alsobe apparent. that the vehicle-is automatically guided during its motion around the path determined by thecable 21 and post 22in suchmannerthat the vehicle follows this path and allot the different angle curves therein without the necessity. ofiskidding-or sliding thevehicle around the curves, so that the vehicle may be operated on rough surfaces such asirugs or the-like, whichlwould not permit of operation of the vehiclezif it were necessary to skid-the same, 7 lVhile-in-Figures 1 to?) otthedrawingsl have specifically disclosed a, steam enginedriventoy. vehicle, it will be obvious that the invention is not restrictediniany mannerx to the type of motor driving the toyvehicle and there might be substituted therefor, with like effect, any other-driving, means, such as, an electric motor, clockworks,- rubber; driving band, etc.

It will be observed that incase it'isdesired that-the toy vehicle having; the guiding means of'the present inventionshall follow anexact circular path, this.- can be accomplished by havingtli'e guiding cable2l;trained arounda single post. 22,-

Now referring to Figure Lot-the drawings, I have therein'illustrated diagrammatically a modified vehicle andguiding means thereforin which 23 indicates the carriage-of the vehicle which is provided withza pair ofgnid ing wheels 24 and 25 mounted upon anax-lc 26 pivoted to-the-frame23 A, bracket 27 is attachecbtothe axle 261and carries-a pulley 28 which is similartolthepulley 19-ot the form shown: in Figures- 1: and 3.;and1may. be engaged'by the cable;21 ofthose figures for the purpose of guidingthe vehicle around-the path determined'by the cable '21; and the posts 22 around which the cable is trained. There must be eno ugh;slack inthe; cable 21; to allow the pulley 19 or other; guiding-inember to. pass between: the cable and; the: supporting memb eror: members.

The vehicle is shown as provided? with? a suitable driving means 29 drivingone at least of the rear wheels 30. V In place of yieldingly urgingthe guidingwheels 24 u and 25ninto a position to turn the vehicle away from the guiding cable 21 by the use of a spring, this form of the invention includes a connecting rod 31 attached to the axle 26 near the outer wheel 24:, which connecting rod 31 is coupled to a rear vehicle 32 or other rod to be pulled by the front vehicle.

The connecting rod 31, being connected with the axle 26 near the outer wheel 24, in operation applies a yielding force tending to turn the axle into position to cause the vehicle to travel outwardly from the supporting cable 21 on account of the pull exerted on the rod 31 by the drag weight of the rear vehicle or car 32.

Referring to the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 5, the guiding means of the vehicle is diagrammatically indicated in a further modified form. The vehicle is indicated at 33 and is shown as provided with three wheels, the driven rear wheel 34:, the other rear wheel 35, and a single front wheel 36 which is supported by a carriage pivoted to the vehicle frame so as to be free to allow the vehicle to travel in any desired direction. A pulley 37 is in this case pivoted to the frame of the vehicle at one side and at the forward end of the vehicle and is adapted to be engaged by the guiding cable 21. The pulley 37 is on the same side of the vehicle as the driven wheel 34. In this case the utilization of a three-wheel vehicle in combination with the driving of one wheel only of the vehicle provides a means for tending to yieldingly guide the vehicle in a curved path, away from the guiding cable 21. The guiding cable 21 thereby is enabled to cause the vehicle to prescribe the path determined by the length of the guiding cable and position posts 22 around which the cable is tralned.

Referring to the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 6, a vehicle is indicated at 38, for example, simulating a dirigible provided with a rear driven wheel 39, a second rear wheel 40 and a pivotally mounted front wheel 41. The vehicle has attached thereto a bracket 42 holding a pulley 43 which is to receive theline trained around the post which guides the vehicle in opera tion. In this form of the invention, in addition to driving a three-wheeled vehicle from the inner rear wheel only which has a tendency to cause the vehicle to turn outwardly, a spring 44 is provided connected with the front wheel 41 in such manner as to apply a force yieldingly urging the front Wheel into such position as to tend to cause the vehicle to turn outwardly from the guiding cable.

While the particular forms of the invention herein described are well adapted to carry out the objects of the invention, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention,

and the invention is of the scope defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Atoy vehicle comprising means for driving the vehicle, steering means for the vehicle, means yieldingly urging the steering means into position to turn the vehicle in one direction, and means for connecting the steering means of the vehicle with a guiding cable in such manner that the guiding cable applies force to the steering mechanism to turn the vehicle in the opposite direction and the vehicle is guided around a path determined by the guiding cable and supporting means about which the cable is loosely trained and approximately defining the path of travel of the vehicle.

2. A toy vehicle comprising driving means for the vehicle, steering means for the vehicle, a guiding cable, a pulley carried by the steering means of the vehicle and engaging said guiding cable, and means on said vehicle for yieldingly urging the steering means of said vehicle into position to steer the vehicle away from the cable, supporting means aboutwhich thecable is loosely trained whereby to cause the vehicle to travel in a path defined by the cable and supporting means.

3. A toy vehicle and guiding means therefor comprising a. continuous cable trained loosely around a plurality of posts, a toy vehicle carrying a pulley engaging said cable, said vehicle having driving means and steering means, said pulley being mounted on sald steering means to cause the vehicle to travel in a path defined by the cable and posts.

1. A toy vehicle comprising driving means, steering means for the vehicle and means for operating the steering means of said vehicle, said latter means comprising a cable loosely trained about a plurality of posts, a pulley connected to the steering means of said vehicle, means urging said steering means in one direction and said pulley having said cable trained thereover. whereby the vehicle is caused to travel in a path defined by the cable.

5. A toy vehicle comprising a driving means, steering means for the vehicle, a spring means normally urging said steering means in position to cause the vehicle to turn in one direction, a member carried by said steering means, supporting means and an endless flexible means loosely trained about said supporting means, said flexible means engaging said member to cause the vehicle to travel'in a path defined by said fiexible means.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 5th day ofNovember, 1930.

' JAMES FRANCIS KEY. 

